Freeze Calls for Prompt FSA Action After Further US GM Rice Contamination

Immediate release (6 Mar 2007)

GM Freeze has contacted the Food Standards Agency asking for details of the action they intend to take to prevent illegal GM rice entering the food chain following the confirmation that non GM rice has been contaminated with GM traits.

During the previous contamination incident announced in August 2006, the FSA were slow to ensure that stocks contaminated with Bayer LL601 strain already on sale were traced and removed from shops and catering establishments. On this occasion LL62 rice has been detected in Clearfield 131 variety which is widely grown in the US[1]. Neither LL601 or LL62 can be legally sold in the EU.

Commenting, Pete Riley of GM Freeze said:

We want to see prompt and decisive action from the FSA on this occasion to ensure that all parts of the food chain act quickly to ensure no GM contaminated rice is continued to be sold. During the last incident their actions were slow and not comprehensive. We trust lessons have been learnt so that on this occasion the public can be sure that the long grain rice they buy is not contaminated. In addition, its time the FSA persuaded the EU to get tough with the USA to clean up their act and prevent contamination at source.

ENDS

1. Aphis report is at www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/biotechnology/content/printable_version/ia_ge_rice.pdf